More American Teens Think Mom's Cool (63%) Than Think the Same About Dad (47%)

New York, NY - When growing up, it's likely that you thought your friend's parents were cooler than yours - and you might have been right. But a new poll of American teens, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, has found that a majority (63%) of American teens think that their mom is "cool", way more than the 47% of teens who think that dad is "cool". In fact, on a scale of 1 to 10, American moms received a coolness rating factor of 7.8 on average, higher than the 6.8 coolness rating factor that dad received.

Interestingly, younger teens are more likely than older teens to think that mom is cool - so either mom gets less cool as she ages, or teens are less impressed with their mom as they themselves age. It's probably a bit of both! Boys and girls are equally as likely to think that mom is cool. Apparently, according to their children, moms in the Northeast (37%) and the South (37%) are more likely to be cool than moms living in the Midwest (31%) or West (30%).

When it comes to dad, teens aged 12 are much more inclined (55%) to think that dad is cool. Dad is much less likely to be cool among teens once they reach the age of 13 (47%) and on. Interestingly, dad is much more likely to be cool in families that make in excess of $50,000 a year (52%) compared to those whose family income is more modest (39%).

Interestingly, even though dad is less cool than mom, that doesn't appear to mean that dad is stricter. A nearly equal proportion of teens think that mom (34%) is strict as think the same about dad (35%). The most likely teens to think that mom is strict are actually pre-teens (40%). Conversely, sixteen year olds (41%) are most likely to think that dad is strict.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted November 17-19, 2010. For the survey, a nationally representative sample of 1,009 randomly-selected teenagers aged 12-17 residing in the U.S. interviewed by online in Ipsos' U.S. Teen omnibus. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 1773.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of employed adults in the U.S. been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/gender composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Wade Valainis Senior Research Manager Ipsos Reid Public Affairs (312) 665-0552 [email protected]

About Ipsos Public Affairs

Ipsos Public Affairs is a non-partisan, objective, survey-based research practice made up of seasoned professionals. We conduct strategic research initiatives for a diverse number of American and international organizations, based not only on public opinion research, but elite stakeholder, corporate, and media opinion research. Ipsos has media partnerships with the most prestigious news organizations around the world. In the U.S and internationally, Ipsos Public Affairs is the media polling supplier to Reuters News, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, and the Hispanic polling partner of Telemundo Communications Group, a division of NBC Universal providing Spanish-language content to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. Ipsos Public Affairs is a member of the Ipsos Group, a leading global survey-based market research company. We provide boutique-style customer service and work closely with our clients, while also undertaking global research.

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About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.). .

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